Usually, I am not the type of person to enjoy mystery or thriller books. I can never focus on the actual plot of the story because I’m too busy figuring out the mystery myself, or the book just isn’t compelling enough. This was not the case for the psychological thriller, I Killed Zoe Spanos.
The book takes place in the Hamptons, where 16-year-old Anna Cicconi from New York City has accepted a summer nannying job for one of the families in the quaint beach town called Herron Mills. However, she finds the town on edge and reluctant to let an outsider in after the recent disappearance of Zoe Spanos that past January. Anna finds that she bears a shocking and uncanny resemblance to Zoe, one that makes several of the townies feel uneasy around her, including Zoe’s ex boyfriend, Caden.
Anna soon meets Aster Spanos, Zoe’s sister, and Martina Jenkins, Aster’s best friend in town. When Anna learns that Martina ran a podcast called “Missing Zoe” to try to uncover the events of Zoe’s disappearance, she quickly gets sucked into the case. Certain aspects of the night of Zoe’s disappearance start to seem familiar to Anna, even though she knows that she was not there. However, when Zoe’s body is found in a lake nearby, Anna has no choice but to turn herself in for a crime she doesn’t know if she committed.
From there, the story shifts to Martina, who is not convinced that Anna is guilty. This causes a rift between her and Aster, who is angry at her for dredging up the case again. So without the approval of her best friend and her mother, she must solve the case alone.
When I say this book was perfectly crafted, I mean it. I loved the fact that there were sort of two mysteries going on at the same time, and each was interconnected with each other. I also love the fact that you are able to see Anna’s paranoia and mental exhaustion grow over the course of the book. It really disorients you and makes you really feel and sympathize with the confusion that she felt. I found all of the characters completely compelling. I didn’t feel like any of them– even the minor characters– were one dimensional. I feel like the fact that you know a little bit about everyone in the book really plays into the small town theme, whereas everybody knows everybody.
Plotwise, this book kept me on my toes. It was just suspenseful enough to raise my heart rate but it wasn’t taxing on the brain at all, which I believe is a happy medium. One thing that I really loved about the way this book was structured was that once I thought I had it all figured out, another piece of evidence would come to light and make me question all that I thought I knew about the case. I feel that this effect helps you relate to the characters more, and feel like you are in their shoes, desperately trying to get justice for Zoe.
And of course, while this book was a great mystery, it was also an amazing summer read. The characters take frequent trips to the beach and to small ice cream stands lining the town’s main street. The description of sunshine and an easy sea breeze contrasts the darkness of the missing case in a way that is almost eerie.
I Killed Zoe Spanos is easily the best modern suspense novel I have read, in more ways than one. If you enjoy true crime podcasts mixed with summer beach reads, this novel is absolutely perfect for you.
